a pregnant piercer?
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Thursday May 1st, 2008 @ 7:26 PM
Filed under: Piercing
So, I have been a piercer for a few years now and I love my job to death. I have a daughter, but took time off to travel and do family things while I was pregnant with her. Well we are adding one more to our family in August and it’s not in the cards for me to take time off of work. My question comes from something that was said to me recently that has gotten me thinking by an acquaintance that knows a lot of piercers in the area. She said to me “Isn’t it illegal to pierce while your pregnant?! It’s got to be child endangerment of some sort, your putting the baby in as much risk as yourself”. I am current on my Hep. B vaccine (as mandated by our health department) and take extra precautions while I do piercings and sterilizing tools. I guess I am wondering if you have ever heard of any such laws (I haven’t been able to find anything)? Would you go to a piercer that had a good reputation even if she was pregnant?
I don’t think it’s specifically illegal in any city, state, province or country that I’ve ever encountered….. but you never really know. It’s no more unethical than a pregnant nurse/doctor, (which is to say it’s not unethical at all) and I’m sure there are 1000 jobs that would have more risk for an expectant mother than Body Piercing.
So don’t worry about the naysayers. Avoid stress, take those vitamins and name that baby Shawn!
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9 Responses to “a pregnant piercer?”
What if it’s a girl? Should it still be named Shawn? Shawnette? Shawna?
Dimruthien on May 1st, 2008 at 10:00 pmAll babies should be boys, and should be named Shawn.
Shawn Porter on May 1st, 2008 at 10:20 pmha, i was thinking Lori would answer this one…
AeChei on May 2nd, 2008 at 3:33 amAs the currently pregnant piercer on the AskBME staff, I surely would’ve answered it if I saw it first.
And there’s certainly no laws about not piercing when you’re pregnant, any more than there are laws against being a nurse/doctor/hairdresser/rodeo clown/any other risky profession one could have. And plenty of people have specifically requested to get pierced by me, and a few regular clients have been rushing to finish projects by me before I go on official maternity leave!
Re: extra precautions, I haven’t taken any measures that I wouldn’t normally take before I was pregnant - you should be practising universal precautions anyway!
Lori St.Leone on May 2nd, 2008 at 7:35 amThanks Bunches for the positive reinforcment! Sorry Shawn, it’s a girl… but names are still on our mind, the first has a pretty out there name, so we have to come up with something equally cool for this next one
Victoria on May 2nd, 2008 at 9:28 amAs for extra precautions, my husband tells me I MUST wear a face mask when piercing and sterilizing (i wouldn’t normally, it’s not how I learned and they are very uncomfortable), and I demanded the shop owner get corks (it’s something we had gone back and forth about, and I was buying my own for awhile)
And good luck with the new kiddo mama Lori!!!
You should definitely be wearing a face mask for piercing and probably full plastic bio shield while working in the bio room. And good luck to you, too! Mine’s a girl as well.
Lori St.Leone on May 2nd, 2008 at 12:29 pmI’m totally changing my name to Shawn SPC Hiller, in honor of Shawn Porter
Warren Hiller on May 3rd, 2008 at 12:14 amIts the least you can do.
Shawn Porter on May 3rd, 2008 at 12:26 amafter all these years, I totally agree lol
Warren Hiller on May 3rd, 2008 at 10:36 amLeave a Comment